A political and potential food crisis in Niger?

Submitted by Shanta Devarajan On Wed, 07/22/2009

The New York Times[1] recently reported on the political crisis in Niger, where the President’s dismissal of the Constitutional Court (which had ruled against his proposal to abolish term limits) is being contested by the main political parties, civil society and lawmakers. The attached note [2]by my colleague Amadou Ibrahim suggests that the situation could be even worse. As the international community (whose aid finances about 45 percent of Niger’s budget) focuses on the political deadlock, early estimates are that this year’s rainfall will be weak. With most Nigeriens making their living from agricultural production and about 25 percent of them already food insecure, a shortfall in food production coupled with the political turmoil could threaten the lives of millions of people.